Automatic latch for dump-cars.



No. 713,302. Patented Nov. Il, |902.

J. H. HENDY.

AUTOMATIC LATCH FUR DUMP GARS.

Application led May 26, 1902.)

(No Modem STnTns PnTnNT @Tricia JOHN II. I-IENDY, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA."

AUTOMATIC LATCH FCR DUMPeC/RS.

SPEGIFECTIOE forming part of Letters Patent No.713,302, dated November11, 1902.

Application iled May 26,1902. Serial No. 108,983. (No model.)

To all whom, it Nutty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN l-I. IIE-NDY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Automatic Latches for Dump-Cars; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the saine.

My invention relates to a latching device for ore and other dumpingcars.

It consists of alongitudinally-journaled bolt having a latch at theouter end adapted t-o engage the lower edge of the hinged door and holdit closed, a lever-arm projecting from the inner end of the shaft, and aflexible conneet-ion between said arm and the swivel-plate of the truck,whereby the lever is pulled and the shaft turned to disengage the latchwhen the car is tilted upon the truck for the pur-` pose of discharging.A lug is so iined upon the plate as to contact with the lever when thecar-body is returned to its normal position and to thus rotate the shaftso as toV cause the latch to engage the door after the* latter has beenclosed.

It also comprises details of construction, which will be more fullyexplained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of a dump-car embodying my invention and showing thecar in the position of dumping. Fig. 2 is an end view.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, A is the truck of an ore-car, andB is the containing box or body of the car.

2 is a fulcruin or pivot-pin by which the body is connected with theswivel-plate and about which it is tiltable, so that it stands in anormally horizontal position or may be tilted to stand at an incline forthe purpose of discharging.

The end or side of the car through which the discharge takes place isprovided with a door 3, which is hinged at the top. The end of the caragainst which the door closes is slightly inclined,so that the door willbe closed before the box arrives at a horizontal position and would notopen by gravity until ithas been considerably tilted from a horizontalposition. In order to secure this door in a closed position to retainthe contents of the box, I

have shown a latch 5, fixed to or formed upon the end of a shaft 6,which is suitably journaled beneath the door of the car-body and isturnable in its journals. Upon the inner end of this shaft is fixed alever-arm 7, and the outer end of the'lever-arm is connected by a chain8 or other suitable flexible connecting device with a stud or bolt Xedupon the swivel-plate of the car-truck, as at 9.

The operation of this device will then be as follows: When the car is ina horizontal position,the contact of the lever-arm with the plate willhave turned the shaft so as to cause the latch to engage the bottom ofthe door and retain it closed, the incline and the discharge end of thecar being such that the door will close by gravitation before the carquite reaches its horizontal position. When a loaded car is to bedischarged, it is tilted about its fulcrum or pivot-pin, and when itnearly reaches the extreme limit of its tilting movement, so that thebottom will contact with and rest upon the swivel-plate, the pull of thechain 8 upon the lever 7 will rotate the shaft 6 sufficiently todisengage the latch and allow the door to swing open and the contents todischarge. 'When the car-bodyis returned to its normally horizontalposition, the door will, as before stated, close against the inclinedend a short time before the car actually reaches its horizontalposition. The lever-arm will then contact with a projecting lug lO,iixed upon the plate, and this will force the lever-arm up against thebottom of the car-body, turning the shaft, and with it the latch, untilthe latter again engages the bottom of the door and locks it.

The operations of locking and unlocking the door are thus made automaticand in unison with the tilting of the car-body to its normallyhorizontal or to the discharge position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination in a dumping-car of a wheeled truck, a car-bodyfulcrumed and tiltable thereon, a discharge-door hinged at the top andclosable against the open end of the car, a shaft journaled below thecar-body having a latch upon the outer end, a leverarm upon the innerend, and connections between said arm and the truck whereby the IOCshaft is turned to disengage the latch when the car is tilted and toengage the closed door when the car is returned to its normally hori-Zontal position.

2. The combination in a dumping-car of a Wheeled truck, a car-bodyhinged thereto and .tiltable about its hinge-joint, said body having aninclined open discharge end, a door hinged at the top and closableagainst said end, a shaft jonrnaled and tnrnable beneath the car-bodyhaving a latch at its outer end adapted to engage and retain the doorwhen closed, a lever connected with the inner end of the shaft and aflexible connection between said lever and the truck whereby the shaftis turned to disengage the latch when the carbody is tilted todischarge.

3. The combination in a dumping-car of a wheeled truck, a car-bodyhinged and tiltable thereon, said body having an inclined open dischargeend, a door hinged at the top, closable over said opening, a shaftjournaled and turnable longitudinally beneath the car having a latch atits outer end adapted to engage the lower edge of the door, a lever-armprojecting transversely from the inner end of the shaft, a flexibleconnection between said arm and the truck whereby the arm is actuated toturn the shaft and disengage the latch when the car has nearly reachedthev limit of its tilting movement and a lug or projection upon thetruck adapted to engage the lever and turn the shaft and latch to engagethe closed door when the car has nearly reached its normally horizontalposition.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN H. HENDY.

Witnesses:

S. H. Nonnen, JEssIE C. BRODIE.

